Hatred Without Hate
by WickedOrcSlayer
Summary: "Without strife, your victory has no meaning. Without strife, you do not advance. Without strife, there is only stagnation." Sha'dra Maru is a wanderer, alone in memory but surrounded by those who love her. She hides a dark past that not even her bounty hunting crew can decipher; but when she draws the attention of the Jedi Council...There's only so far in the Galaxy you can run.
1. Prologue

Prologue

 **Tython**

 _The quiet halls of the Jedi Temple were like the prelude to a great storm; silence, and peace, until suddenly your world is upturned and spun around carelessly. The Force was restless; the Jedi Council all felt its naturally calm presence ripple and splash. A dark feeling spread across it, infecting minds and souls, yet coming from a single, yet seemingly powerful source._

" _I sense…almost a_ dark, _poisonous feeling penetrating her." One member of the council murmured._

" _Like that of a Sith." Another added. Murmurs spread across the council room as they all thought of what that could mean. A Sith, possibly on Tython._

" _We must investigate this matter further," A member stepped forward. "Perhaps we could send one of our own to shadow and learn more about this woman."_

 _Another member inclined his head. "Did you have someone in mind?" The member whom had suggested the idea nodded slightly. "A Knight by the name of Creen Muldai. Attuned to the Force and has just passed his Trials. He is eager to prove his worth to the Council."_

" _Only a shadow? If we are indeed sensing a Sith, I dare say we bring her in immediately." Another member spoke up. A chorus of agreeing mumbles spread rapidly across the chamber. The member who had inquired about whom they would send to complete this task raised a single hand for quiet._

" _Then it is done," he concluded the matter. "Send for him as soon as possible and equip him with all he needs to know."_

 _The member bowed his head. "Of course, Master." With a small swish of his cloak, he exited the council room and set in search of the Knight in question._

 _The Council felt the Force ripple again and they all uneasily wondered what this investigation would uncover._


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

 _ **Tython- Kalikori Village**_

There are many definitions of the word 'peace'. Some find peace in silence, the meditation of a Jedi Knight. Others find peace in more aggressive techniques, such as the feel of blaster in their hand, or the satisfaction of a kill; it all depends on the person struggling to obtain peace.

For Sha'dra Maru, peace was a feeling that could only be attained by getting the job done, and getting it done right. For her crew, sitting in an isolated Twi'lek village directly outside the Jedi-run capitol of Tython, peace had packed its bags and moved to Ord Mantell.

"Shad, you said we would only be here for as long as necessary." The dark haired woman standing near Sha'dra reminded her.

Wyvern Vandorac. Human, late twenties, all around sensible, and the intelligence agent on the team.

" _And_ you said we wouldn't be here long." The Zabrak standing against the opposite wall added.

Dapvhir Shanyte. Zabrak, twenty seven years, wise cracker, and the muscle that aided in keeping the team's reputation so reputable.

"I don't know, I wouldn't mind messing with some of those Jedi up there, so high and mighty on their thrones." The woman lying on the floor quipped, studying a kink in her armor.

Mayli Allerti. Hapan, twenty six years, dangerous as an angry rancor, and a seductress that could flirt her way past anything.

"Heel, May." A tall, slim figure by the entrance drawled, rolling his eyes and tapping away on a datapad.

Vri'kel Jatsun. Chiss, twenty nine years, the tech of the team, and the one always farthest from the battle field.

Sha'dra rubbed her eyes wearily and didn't respond to any of them. She knew they were right; they were her team and they knew her better than anyone. They had been on Tython far too long already; the time slot assigned to them by the Hutt that had hired them was growing short.

Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen, and despite all her reservations, pure curiosity won in the end. Her crew would forgive her for a few lost credits. The Hutt that had hired them would be furious, sure, but she didn't let herself think of that. She'd deal with that when the angry muscle showed up at her front door.

"This isn't about the job anymore, is it?" Wyvern had sidled closer to her and her voice dropped below a whisper. Sha'dra chuckled lightly at how easily Wyvern had read her.

"I just…I have a feeling, you know?" Sha'dra murmured back. Wyvern hesitated, but nodded. "Go with your gut. It's never steered you wrong before."

Sha'dra almost laughed aloud at that; her gut most certainly had steered her wrong before, in the past. But Wyvern was right, in a way. Her gut had rarely been mistaken since she joined the crew.

"Whatcha guys whispering about?" Dapvhir leaned against Sha'dra, squishing her between Wyvern and himself. Sha'dra grimaced and shoved him off.

"My finger's getting twitchy…" Mayli sing-songed from the ground. "Your finger is always twitchy. Might I remind you of our last job?" Vri'kel drawled, looking down at her. Mayli's eyebrow twitched and she sat up, glaring at him.

"Our last job was not my fault, and you know it, Kel!" she protested angrily. He put his hands up as if in surrender and shook his head. "I'm just sayin. If you hadn't felt the need to flirt your way past the entire squad of Imperial Agents, maybe we would have been out of there quicker!"

"Enough!" Sha'dra cut off Mayli's rising retort, sending piercing glares at both of them. She rubbed her temples in an attempt to calm down as she thought of what to do next. They could always pack up and return to Hutta to claim their waiting credits while they still had that option, but her instincts were telling her not to leave Tython. She felt something at the edge of her consciousness, a dark, twisted presence that she had pushed deep into the dark pit at the back of her mind. Despite her revulsion toward the presence touching her mind, she knew it was a warning. One she once wouldn't hesitate to ignore. Now, she was not so sure it would aid her at all.

"I am going to take a walk, I am going to make a decision, and I trust you all not to burn down the entire village." She finally stated, looking each of them in the eye. They grunted, nodded, and generally responded without much vigor. She hooked her blaster to her hip, shrugged on her jacket, and left the temporary living quarters.

The sun beat down hard on her pink skin, causing her to sweat beneath her sleek jacket. Passing natives, other Twi'leks like herself, smiled and greeted Sha'dra as she walked toward the entrance of the village. If only the scum she affiliated with on Hutta could be so friendly. It was nice, every once and a while, to receive a greeting smile. Of course, some of the natives glared at her with distrust, those intelligent enough to recognize a bounty hunter when they saw one. Not to call the rest unintelligent; if she made a guess, not many in the village could remember when there was any other home than their tiny village on Tython. It was simply a fact, not an insult. But the ones that did recognize her and her companions for what they were, those were the ones that dreaded Sha'dra and her crew's presence. Their occupation of the village in itself was illegal, and goodness knows they didn't need unwanted attention.

Sha'dra was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the cloaked figure until she had rammed straight into him. She stumbled and spun on her heel to give the person a piece of her mind. The figure's hood had gotten thrown back in the miniature collision, revealing human features. Tan skin, a mop of brunette curls, and dark, penetrating eyes.

"My mistake." He replied, and his voice sent an uncomfortable shiver down her spine. She turned to continue walking, feeling more than a little uneasy, and tensed when she felt a hand close around her wrist.

She turned back to look at him and he met her eyes unflinchingly, jaw set and free hand near his belt. She looked down, saw a flash of silver, and jerked her head back up in shock.

"Sha'dra Maru? I'm going to have to ask you to come with me."


	3. Chapter 2

**_Hello, lovelies! Thank you so much for taking time to read this little story of mine! I'm sorry this chapter is a little short, but I will do my best to correct that in the near future. Updates will be regularly on Sundays, so stay tuned :)_**

"Excuse me?" The Twi'lek demanded, and Creen noticed her hand twitch toward the blaster pistol on her hip. He didn't move to intercept her, but he did flash the silver of his own weapon and he saw her glance at it once more in shock. And something else…but he took it all in stride. He was fully prepared for any oddity coming from this woman; the Council would not have sent him otherwise.

He still felt slightly surprised the council had chosen him to carry out this mission; he had passed his Trials mere weeks before. But he accepted it with eagerness, an eagerness to prove to the Council he was worthy of his Knighthood.

"I said, I'm going to have to ask you-" "Yeah, I heard that part." She cut him off with a glare, and her hand finally did come to rest on her blaster. For a moment they were at a stalemate, and Creen worried it would come to a firefight. He didn't want to risk the civilians all around them, whom had begun to notice the small confrontation. He sighed and released her wrist, standing straighter and holding eye contact.

"I have been sent to bring you before the Jedi Council, and I would like it if you came peacefully." He chose his words carefully, not wishing to set her off. She scoffed and observed him incredulously. He could tell she was having none of it. He reached out with the Force to gently probe her mind, and came to an abrupt stop. Nothing. A barrier, some sort of thick, metal wall defended her mind from his inquisitive penetration. When he pressed cautiously against it he instantly felt a dark, twisted presence reach out for him, and he withdrew hastily. What was it?

"Listen buddy, I don't care if The Force itself compelled you to find me and 'bring me back'. I'm not going anywhere with you." She informed him, visibly tightening her grip on the smooth metal of her blaster.

"So you admit belief of the Force's existence?" Creen was quick to retort, and he noticed the bewildered expression cross her face before it regained a stony glare. "What is the meaning of all these questions, Jedi?" She sneered the end of the sentence vehemently, and he sighed. Of course she wouldn't come easy. She wouldn't be a bounty hunter if she did, he reasoned to himself, but still.

"Just trying to be friendly." He replied gently. He steeled himself and mentally checked his belt, making sure he had a pair of binders. Merely a precautionary, but he had a feeling he would need them. "Now, are you going to come peacefully?"

The Twi'lek glowered, whipping her blaster from its holster and flicking the safety off. "E chu ta, Jedi."

Creen remained calm, sending out waves of peace and serenity through the Force that would hopefully settle her trigger finger, and her vulgar tongue. It didn't seem to have any effect on her, and he frowned. Okay, then. The hard way.

He shoved the blaster away with a tug of the Force and a shot flew into the air. Several passerby that had been hovering around, observing the confrontation, yelped and scattered.

Sha'dra's eyes grew wide and she attempted to squeeze off another bolt. Creen deflected it easily and twisted the weapon from her grasp, drawing a yell of pain from the bounty hunter. He gripped her wrists together, simultaneously using the Force to sap some of her strength, and clapped the binders onto her wrists.

"HEY!" A red bolt shot past Creen's ear, narrowly missing his skin and singeing the tips of his curls. He spun with a growl of frustration, eyes widening at the sight of four armed figures. By appearance alone they seemed to be bounty hunters, and by judging their hostile reaction to Creen taking Sha'dra into custody, they seemed to be the Twi'lek's crew.

Creen, albeit very reluctantly, unhooked the silver cylinder hanging from his belt and flicked a switch. A bright green beam extended instantly, igniting with a familiar snap-hiss. Creen noticed the slight hesitation that crossed every one of the hunters' faces, and he smirked despite himself.

Without waiting for the crew to regain their confidence, he grabbed Sha'dra's bound wrists and began leading her toward the speeder he had arrived on. She struggled violently and he sighed heavily before placing his fingers on a small spot on her neck. He sent out an overwhelming sense of fatigue, sending it crashing into her mind. The wall he had encountered before seemed nonexistent and the result was the woman slumping in his arms.

The crew suddenly came to life with shouts and curses, and a round of blaster shots began anew. Creen deflected any that came close enough to injure either Sha'dra or him, and finally made it to the speeder. He straddled it quickly, cradling the unconscious Twi'lek against his chest, and powered up the speeder.

As he kicked off and began urging the transport toward the entrance of the small village, a stray blaster shot nicked his arm. He gasped loudly, the force of the shot propelling him slightly forward, and as a result kicking up the speeder's velocity.

Nearly losing control, he righted the speeder and high tailed it out of there, arm burning fiercely and lap already growing numb from his unconscious passenger.


	4. Chapter 3

**_Here comes chappie 3! Sorry it's so short! Enjoy! :)_**

"Blast it!" Wyvern Vandorac began running toward the spot the speeder had vacated, anger surging relentlessly through her veins and pumping her entire body full of rage-fueled adrenaline. Failure was not an option and she most certainly was NOT going to let her leader, her _friend_ , be taken so easily.

"Wyv, no!" Dapvhir easily outran her and encircled her torso with his bulky arms, halting her more slender form immediately. She struggled for a moment, kicking and attempting to break the massive Zabarak's firm hold on her.

"We can't let someone just get away with Sha'dra like that!" she protested viciously, glaring uselessly toward the direction the kidnapper had gone. And when she got her hands, or more accurately, her blaster, on that kidnapper, he was going to pay dearly.

"Well of course we aren't!" Vri'kel growled, quite unlike his normally composed demeanor. His crimson eyes narrowed and he tilted his head slightly. "You think we would just leave her?" Wyvern didn't answer, panting hard at the sudden exertion of her body.

Mayli, whom had been silent most of the heated argument, suddenly spun on her heel and returned to the living quarters they had all violently burst from in order to attempt rescue of their leader. All three arguing members ceased momentarily, turning instead to follow the clearly calmer member of the team indoors, where they wouldn't cause such a scene.

"How are you so calm?" Wyvern demanded of Mayli, anger causing her to snap. Mayli smirked a little and shook her head. The rest of the crew waited impatiently for her to explain.

"I'm not calm," she began, turning to look at them. "I just seem like it. In reality, I'm currently planning a way to get her back. Would you all care to calm down enough to hear it?" Wyvern had the grace to look slightly chastised, Vri'kel quieted and nodded, and Daphvir gave her a look that read, 'of course, do you think we're idiots?'.

"Alright, good then. Now. We can't get her back all on our own…" Mayli began. "Why not?" Dapvhir demanded. "Yeah, we've got a big enough rep to hire us some muscle to bust her out of there." Vri'kel added. This caused Dapvhir to turn and glare. "Hey, I'm all the muscle we need to bust some self-righteous monk heads!" Vri'kel glared back, continuing, "All I'm saying is that one hot head with a blaster-""Now wait just a minute you self-serving son of a-"

"Enough!" Wyvern bellowed, giving each man a glare that could send a rancor running in the opposite direction. "Mayli's right, we _can't_ get her back all on our own." Mayli smirked, obviously pleased that she was right, and began pacing.

"Now, if you boys are prepared to stop arguing and listen…" Mayli shot them a look, and they remained silent. "…maybe we can enlist the aid of another bounty hunter gang."

Immediately Daphvir and Vri'kel started shouting again, voices at odds with each other, and off to the side Wyvern rubbed her temples wearily.

"There's just one problem with that, May." Wyvern stated, as soon as the two gentlemen in the room had quit screaming at each other. Mayli raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" Wyvern grimaced. "Yeah. We aren't on Hutta right now, and I don't know about you all, but I don't want to entrust Sha'dra's life to a gang we aren't familiar with."

Mayli groaned. "You're right. I hadn't thought of that." Dapvhir paused his glaring at Vri'kel long enough to speak up. "Well, ladies, it's not as if we have much of a choice." Vri'kel added, as much as it seemed to physically pain him, "One man army over here is right. I say we post a job listing on the holonet, see if we get any takers. It can't hurt."

Mayli seemed conflicted and Wyvern had an uneasy look on her face. But finally Wyvern nodded, and Mayli followed suit. "Fine. Vrik, get on that. Everyone else, get your gear ready. We probably won't hang around here much longer."

Vrik whipped out a holopad and began typing away, a deep look of concentration overtaking his features. The rest of the gang went to their respective quarters to gather their gear.

Alone in his quarters, Dapvhir silently seethed. How dare that blue skinned _skocha kloonkee_ insult him like that? Maybe before they got Sha'dra back he could teach the tech-savvy Chiss a few well-earned lessons. Mostly involving Daphvir's fist.

Meanwhile Vri'kel, still typing up the job offer, made time to periodically shoot a skin-searing glare at the door to Daphvir's quarters. That brute thought he could take on anything, and Vri'kel knew it was going to get him killed someday.

While Vri'kel and Dapvhir unknowingly shared similar thoughts, Mayli and Wyvern's inner workings were paired up as well. Both women were beyond worried for their leader, for their fellow woman. They wanted nothing more than to have her back, terrified the Jedi had something nasty hidden up their robes. But lurking behind that thought, both women were also simply not prepared to put up with Vri'kel and Dapvhir all on their own. The inane desire to be the dominate male would end up forcing the two to kill each other before they even came up with a plan to rescue Sha'dra.

But all four knew they had to rescue Sha'dra, Jedi or no Jedi. She had done too much for them to simply give up now. If it weren't for her, they would be dead countless times over. It was only polite to return the favor.


	5. Chapter 4

_**I am so, so, so, SO sorry for the late update. Something came up in which I was not able to access the internet in order to post this. :(**_

 _ **But please, enjoy the chapter, and I WILL update on time this Sunday :)**_

Voices. Flickering in and out at the edges of consciousness, two voices. One human, or so it sounded. The other was the unmistakable, the mechanical whine of a droid. A medical droid. Suddenly, Sha'dra felt heat against her eyelids and her blackened world burst into a vibrant blue. She was being scanned. Why was she being scanned?

She struggled to dredge up some sort of recollection of what had occurred before this moment. She remembered arguing with her crew. She remembered leaving to clear her mind, to make a decision…

She shot up immediately as the memory came to her, eyes flying open and lekku swinging around so fast that one slapped her against her own cheek. She looked around franticly, eyes zeroing in on the medical droid who she assumed had been the one to scan her. It most certainly had not been the Jedi who had so rudely kidnapped her, the Jedi currently leaning against the wall in a nonchalant, relaxed position.

She fixed her gaze on him and gave him a seemingly casual once over, while in reality her heart was beating against her chest at an unnatural speed. Why was she here? Was her crew alright? Were they looking for her? Well, of course they were looking for her. But had they done anything stupid? Were they about to get themselves killed? Was she about to get _herself_ killed?

"Did you sleep well?" The Jedi finally spoke and she looked at him incredulously. Was he serious? 'Hey I kidnapped you and brought you here against your will, but I want to make sure you slept well on the way over.' Speaking of which…where was she?

"Where am I?" she demanded quietly, settling for a good old fashioned glare to pin the tall Jedi with. He unfolded his arms and pushed himself off the wall, striding slowly across the room. He stopped in front of Sha'dra and that's when she finally realized she was in a cell. She scrambled to stand, bumping up against the back wall of the cell.

"You're in one of the Detention Cells in the Jedi Temple." He informed her coolly, crossing his arms and meeting her eyes. She balked. "On what charges?!"

"On the Jedi Council's _orders_ , actually." He corrected her casually, uncrossing his arms and leaning toward the cell. He studied her intently, and she shifted uncomfortably.

"What do the Jedi want with me?" she demanded, her angry tone not betraying the deep unease she felt about the entire situation. There was only one reason she thought the Jedi would be interested in her, and it definitely wasn't something she needed brought out into the open. Nor was it something that, if revealed, would end well for her or her crew.

"Hey, I'm a Knight, not a Councilmember. Don't ask me." He shot back flippantly. Sha'dra felt herself relax a bit more. From his attitude to his mannerisms, it was becoming painfully obvious that this boy had not been a Knight for very long.

"Not for very long, it seems." She voiced her observations, taking pride in the way he flushed angrily. Coercing the boy to show emotion, a Jedi no less, was an act to be pleased with.

"Yet you are the one in a cell." He retorted, visibly keeping his frustration in check. Sha'dra shrugged, acknowledging the boy's valid statement. However, she knew she wouldn't be in here long. Whether she busted herself out or her crew came to the rescue, the Jedi didn't have the means to hold her captive.

"You still never answered my question." She reminded after a moment. The Jedi shot her a look. "I said I didn't know." Sha'dra scoffed. Yeah. Right.

"All I know is the Force seems…restless." His features took on a thoughtful look but then he looked up, gaze focusing on her. "Therefore, the Council is restless."

"You seem to be getting to a point, but it is taking quite a long time. Does your Council usually kidnap innocent citizens when they get a little uneasy during their meditation sessions?" Sha'dra quipped, cocking an eyebrow.

The Jedi grimaced, and Sha'dra knew she was getting on the boy's nerves. She smirked a little. Good. Her specialty.

"You have no place questioning the motives of men and women far wiser than yourself, bounty hunter." He sneered the last words and she rolled her eyes.

"And here I thought we were getting along." Sha'dra drawled. She pushed off the back of the cell and stood close to the Jedi. Smiling sarcastically she stuck her hand between the cell bars and introduced herself.

"Sha'dra Maru. Thought we should introduce ourselves seeing as our banter is entering the vicious, name calling stage." The Jedi looked at her disbelievingly, then slowly, reluctantly, slipped his own hand around hers.

"Creen Muldai. Your name sounds familiar." He looked thoughtful, trying to remember when he had heard that name.

"Hmm. Yours doesn't." She replied, cocking her hip and placing her fist on it. Sha'dra watched Creen visibly struggle not to roll his eyes and she smirked once more. Oh this was going to be a lot of fun.


End file.
